November 16, 2016 Volume 24, Issue 91

Ministry Calendar

Thanksgiving Sunday Sunday, November 20 6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and Worship at 8:30 a.m. supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to Sunday School at 9:45 a.m. God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will Worship at 10:50 a.m. guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. –Philippians 4:6-7 Charge Conference at 2:00 p.m. As Thanksgiving approaches I’m sure many of us will be focused at Church of the Servant

on preparing and eating lots and lots of delicious food. I’m planning on Wednesday through Friday, smoking two turkeys: one for each side of my family. In the midst of all November 23-25 Dr. Trevor Smith of this food, it is tempting for us to forget the heart of this celebration Church Offices and The Learning which is to offer our thanks to God. So, let me ask you, how do you say, Center closed for Thanksgiving “Thanks,” to God? What do you do to express your gratitude and thanks to the God who blesses you every day of your life? Thursday, December 1 Cultivating gratitude is critical to your personal prayer life. Thomas Merton said, “To be College and Young Adult Group at 7:00 p.m. grateful is to recognize the love of God in everything. Every breath we draw is a gift of His love. Every moment of our existence is a gift of His grace. Gratitude takes nothing for Sunday, December 4 granted, it is never unresponsive. The grateful person knows that God is good, not by hearsay Youth Visit Epworth Villa at 12:15 but by personal experience.” On Sunday we will prepare your hearts for Thanksgiving by Monday, December 5 exploring the ways we can offer prayers of gratitude and thanksgiving to God. Care Committee at 4:00 p.m. We had a wonderful Consecration Sunday and Harvest Dinner. On behalf of our Sunday, December 11 church, I want to thank each of you who generously made your commitment to give to God Youth Christmas Party through our church. It is so encouraging to see how the Holy Spirit is helping so many people grow in generosity. If you were unable to worship with us on Consecration Sunday we will be Sunday, December 18 mailing you an Estimate of Giving Card this week. I hope you will prayerfully consider what Jesus’ Birthday Party at 4:00 p.m.

God is calling you to give in the coming year and return your estimate of giving card to the Saturday, December 24 church office next week. I am so thankful for each of you and for all of the ways that the Holy Candlelight Christmas Eve Spirit is working through the people in our church to share the love of Jesus Christ and make Services at 4:00 and 5:30 p.m. a Christian difference in our community. Sunday, December 25 Worship at 10:50 a.m. The Advent Conspiracy Christmas can still change the world. This Advent I want to invite you to join us for The Advent Conspiracy in Sunday School and Worship. In these four weeks we will focus on the four Advent themes of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. We will also examine four life- changing ideas: Spend Less - and free your resources for things that really matter. Give More - of Nichols Hills U.M.C. your presence: your hands, your words, your time, and your heart. Worship Fully - because (405)842-1486 Christmas begins and ends with Jesus. Love All - the poor, the forgotten, the marginalized, and (405)843-1835 Fax the sick in ways that make a Christian difference. Then, on Christmas Eve, we will gather www.nicholshillsumc.org around the manger to worship the newborn King. The Advent Conspiracy will change your life and help you celebrate the real meaning of Christmas. The Learning Center At Christmas, even people who do not attend church are looking for something more. Monday, Wednesday, Friday People are more open at this time to an invitation to attend a worship service or other church 9:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. events. I want to invite you to share the good news of Christmas with your friends, family Tuesday and Thursday members, classmates, co-workers, and neighbors who do not have a church home by inviting 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. them to join us for The Advent Conspiracy on Sundays and to come with you to our (405)842-5325

Candlelight Christmas Eve Service on Saturday, December 24 at 4:00 or 5:30 p.m. Together, we will make a special Christmas memory. I am looking forward to celebrating a wonderful Christmas with you all. Have a happy Thanksgiving. Blessings Dr. Trevor Smith Ministry Opportunities Commit To The Church Hospitality Greeters Do you like to smile and talk to This week in our young adult group, we will be discussing people? Are you enthusiastic about our what it means to commit to the church. One of the prevailing church? If so, please consider myths in American spirituality and Christianity is that you can becoming one of the Sunday Morning be a faithful follower of Christ without being a part of the Greeters. If this is an opportunity you church or attending church on a regular basis. This is a myth. It would enjoy, please see Alfred Walker just simply isn’t true. We must be connected to the body of for more details. Christ in some form of community in order to grow in our

Coffee Hosts faith. Coffee hosts provide 8-9 dozen I believe a person can believe in Christ without the church, cookies. At the close of the 10:50 Rev. Matt Patrick but it is hard to grow as a disciple without being part of a Service, the host(s) stand by the cookie church. We need the accountability and support network that table in the Narthex and greet people. the church provides. When we commit to the church, we are committing to We have openings for coffee hosts for something way bigger than ourselves. Collectively, the church can accomplish the November 27, December 4 and 25. To serve, sign-up on the bulletin board mission of the gospel far more effectively than we ever could individually. Not outside the office. only do we as individuals need to be committed to the church, but the world is counting on it as well. What is your current commitment level? How else is God Altar Guild The sacrament of communion is a calling you to commit to the church? meaningful and important part of our -Matt weekly worship. If you are interested in helping prepare the table, please contact Carol Magness at 405-640-4429 Children’s Ministry or Janet Jones at 405-627-1566. Our memory verse for the month of November is Serving in Altar Guild this month are: 1 Chronicles 29:13, “And now we thank you, our God, and Carla Hill, Janet Jones, Cinda Lafferty, praise your glorious name!” If your child is able to memorize Carol Magness, Ellie Roberts, and the verse and tell a teacher, they will get a prize from the Marty Smith. treasure box! Transportation Ministry During Sunday school we will begin learning Christmas carols Would you like to bring joy to that we will sing in front of the congregation. We would love to someone by bringing them to church? have as many kids participate as possible so please be there for If you would like to join our Sunday school so kids can start learning the songs! transportation ministry contact the Madison Chilless church at 405-842-1486. If you’re interested in giving your time by volunteering during

Serving In Ministry Sunday school or Children’s Church please email me at [email protected]. on Sunday, November 20. I hope I will see you all on Sunday! Enjoy the weather! The coffee host is Doug Franklin. -Madison

The mission candle is lit by the Care Committee in memory of John Alexander. Birthday Party for Jesus

The chancel flowers are given in What makes Christmas meaningful to you? Is it spending hours buying gifts memory of Carole McClendon’s that your family and friends really don’t need, or is it something else? What could birthday. make this Christmas different? Cares and Concerns Join us on Sunday, December 18 at 4:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall to Epworth Villa celebrate Jesus’ birthday! Children, adults, friends, and relatives, are all invited! It Maxine Asch, Joanne Crosby, will be a wonderful time! Bonnie Miller, and Sylvia Miller We will enjoy Christmas treats and sing Christmas Town Village carols, and the children will enjoy fun crafts. Joanna Garnett To celebrate Jesus’ birthday we invite you to bring a The Fountains at Canterbury gift for our John Marshall Neighborhood Market to give Barney and Virginia Brown high school students the necessities they need. Some Anita Dahlgren examples are small to normal size containers of deodorant, Autumn Leaves body lotion, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and large packages Bill and Katie Alexander of granola bars, cereal bars, protein bars, bars of soap, and At Home feminine hygiene products. Roger Etling, Ann Flesher, Jess and Bette Harris, Join us as we celebrate the birth of Jesus, have Beth and Dale Jordan, Frances Lewis, wonderful fellowship, eat yummy treats, help our neighbors David Mueller, and Maxine Permenter in need, and make this Christmas different! Christmas is coming. Deck the halls, peace on earth, and all that stuff. Christmas is: family, love, home, joy, wonderful, cookies, fruitcake, sweaters, crowded malls, this year’s i-Phone, 10 office parties, tacky ornaments, long return lines, credit cards, gifts, gifts, gifts, gifts, gifts, gifts, gifts, gifts, gifts, gifts. Take a step back. Breathe. Remember what Christmas is about. Right now, you stand in line to buy things others don’t need, while others must stand in line because they can’t afford the things they need. Right now you spend hours at Christmas parties you don’t want to attend. What if you spent more time with your family… you know, the ones you love. Let’s be honest. More stuff doesn’t make us happy. Maybe it is better to give than to receive. What if you bought one less gift this year and gave the money to someone in need? You could give children books so they can learn to read or give a community seeds so they can grow food. The money you spend on postage could feed a third world child for an entire year. There is so much good to do, but only you can do it. This Christmas could be different. Spend less. Give more. Worship Fully. Love all. Join us for The Advent Conspiracy at Nichols Hills United Methodist Church on Sunday at 8:30 or 10:50 a.m. as we prepare to celebrate Christmas in a remarkable new way.

November 27 A Conspiracy of Hope

December 4 The Way of Peace

December 11 Songs of Joy

December 18 Love Came Down at Christmas

December 24 The Light Shines in the Darkness

December 25 What Child Is This?

Spend Less. Give More. What makes Christmas meaningful to you? Is it spending hours buying gifts that your family and friends really don’t need, or is it something else? What could make this Christmas different? At Nichols Hills United Methodist Church we believe giving to help those who are in need will help make this Christmas different. We invite you to consider buying one less Christmas gift and instead give a gift to help a person or child in need. Below are two ways you can make this Christmas meaningful. John Marshall High School Neighborhood Market Due to limited administrative staffing from budget cuts, we were asked to take on the responsibility of the school food pantry. We said, “Yes!” John Marshall is our public middle school and high school. Over 75% of the students at Joh Marshall are receiving free or reduced lunch. This is an amazing opportunity to fill a basic need of students in our community. We want to support these students to continue their education, but they can’t be successful if they are hungry. We want these kids to know that members of their community care about them and their future. John Marshall is given an allotment of $1,300 each month to order food from the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. Most of the food ordered is easy to prepare meals like beef stew, spaghetti and meatballs, and beans and franks in pop top containers. There are also fruit cups and cereal bowls. Sometimes personal hygiene items are available to order like bars of soap, deodorant, and toothpaste. Unfortunately, these items are very limited. Our church has an opportunity to supplement the pantry with much needed items. You can help this ministry by talking to Stephanie Henry about how you can volunteer or by donating the following items: small to normal size containers of deodorant; body lotion; toothpaste; toothbrushes; and large packages of granola bars, cereal bars, protein bars, bars of soap, and feminine hygiene products. Compassion International For only $38 per month you can help our church sponsor children who live in impoverished parts of the world. Your gift can help a child have the opportunity to learn and grow physically, mentally, and spiritually. It can also provide access to much-needed immunizations and medical care, as well as food and water to meet critical physical needs. This Christmas Eve, connect to the Christmas story like never before. Journey to the manger to celebrate the joy and hope that surrounds the miracle of Christmas. It’s a chance to hear beautiful Christmas music and old familiar carols with family, friends, and neighbors. Listen as the cherished Christmas Story of Jesus’ birth comes alive through music and scripture in the warm glow of candlelight. We will conclude our service with our cherished tradition of passing the lighted candles as we sing Silent Night. It’s a Christmas tradition you will not want to miss!

Saturday, December 24 at 4:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Childcare is available on Christmas Eve. Manage Your Tidbits from The Learning Center Giving Online And Use Each year The Learning Center provides eye screenings Our QR Code for our children who are six months old and older. The Nichols Hills United Methodist organization, Vizavance (formerly named Prevent Blindness Church is excited to announce that you Oklahoma), sends a screener for this advanced vision can now manage your giving online! Visit screening. Our children are screened in their classroom with the church website at their teachers present. www.nicholshillsumc.org, Click on the blue Make A Donation button. Good vision is Then follow the online essential to children’s instructions. learning. Often we can We also have a QR Denise Buthion spot red flags and ask Code that you can scan families to follow up with their local with your cell phone to optometrist or ophthalmologist for a more donate. If you have any questions, please contact Louise Glass at comprehensive eye exam. This preventive the church 405-842-1486. measure can alleviate permanent vision loss and other negative outcomes. Alfred Walker In the last two years we have Assistance Fund referred eight children to have The Alfred and Rosella Walker comprehensive eye exams. This is a Assistance Fund has helped 187 contribution TLC makes to provide people in 2015 and 2016 with their children with the best care possible for the utilities and rent. Rosella’s birthday whole child. Our screening will be on is on November 21. If you would Thursday, November 17. Wish us well! like to honor her memory, -Denise donations can be made towards the fund so that others may continue to be helped.

Birthdays 11/17 Susan Morrison-Dyke The Advent Conspiracy 11/18 John Heflin 11/19 Frances Thompson 11/20 Frank Miskovsky, III Sunday School Class 11/21 Win Holbrook

Join the Open Circle Class, the Angie Sanger Reveille Class, and The Brew Class 11/27 Sondra Barker 11/28 Rich McLain for a 4-week study beginning on Alfred Walker Sunday, November 27 at 9:45 a.m. 11/29 Michael Hall that will help you celebrate Traci Miller Christmas in a refreshingly new way. 11/30 Geraldine Raupe During these four weeks, Mark Sullivan Perry Tirrell Pastor Trevor Smith will help us 12/01 Sarah Butler examine four life-changing ideas: Elizabeth Prosser Spend Less - and free your Alesha Rogers resources for things that really 12/02 Matt Patrick matter. 12/03 Tony Dyke Give More - of your presence: 12/04 Maxine Asch Ronald McLeod your hands, your words, your time, and your heart. If your birthday isn’t included in our Worship Fully - because Christmas list, please contact the church office (405-842-1486) to be added. begins and ends with Jesus. Love All - the poor, the forgotten, the marginalized, and the sick in ways that make a Christian difference. Sign up in the Church Office. Nichols Hills United Methodist Church Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage 1212 Bedford Drive PAID Oklahoma City, Ok. 73116 Permit Number 1226 Oklahoma City, OK

Sunday School Classes - Sunday at 9:45 a.m. The Brew Class: Meets in the Room 131 - Bring your coffee and join “The Brew” for fellowship and discussion on topics that provide insight and support for staying on the pathway of a Christian lifestyle in today’s world. This Sunday we will continue studying Breaking Busy (or How to Find Peace & Purpose in a World of Crazy) by Alli Worthington. The Brew will begin The Advent Conspiracy on November 27. For more information about “The Brew” please contact: Tim Baker (405) 209-5467 or Christie Baker (405) 922-5154.

KIVA Class: Meets in the Parlor - Cynthia Meyerson will be reviewing a book the next 2 Sundays titled “Telling Tales about Jesus.” This book is an introduction to the New Testament Gospel by Dr. Warren Carter, a Methodist Minister who teaches at Bright Theology Seminary. Leader: Hank Bradley.

Reveille Class: Meets in the Library - Do you like to see how your faith impacts your everyday life? Join us for a discussion of how the Bible speaks to the current events in our lives. The Reveille Class will begin The Advent Conspiracy on November 27. Teacher: Tom Fraley.

Open Circle Class: Meets in the Archives Room - The Open Circle Class primarily utilizes the Lectionary approach to studying scriptures, which excerpts scriptures from the Bible so that the full Bible is covered every two years. We also study hymns. The Open Circle Class will begin The Advent Conspiracy on November 27. Teacher: John Marshall.

Youth Class: Meets in the Youth Basement - Join us for fun, fellowship, and a lesson that will bring you closer to God. Leaders: Rev. Matt Patrick and Matt Eales.

Second Graders through Fifth Graders: Meets in the Children’s Area. Join us for a fun time with your friends as we grow closer to God and each other. Ministry Intern: Laley Braucher.

Children’s Class: Meets in the Children’s Area. - Join us for a child-friendly lesson, snacks, and crafts as we learn about the Bible together. Director of Children’s Ministry: Madison Chilless

Dr. Trevor Smith, Senior Pastor Denise Buthion, Director of The Learning Center Rev. Matt Patrick, Student Pastor Michael Hall, Maintenance/Custodian Michael Wylder, Director of Church Music Alfred Walker, Sunday Host Madison Chilless, Director of Children’s Ministry Laley Braucher, Ministry Intern Delaney Sheffield, Administrative Assistant Rachel Spear, Nursery Attendant Dr. Antone Godding, Organist Shendra Stevens, Nursery Attendant Kathy Smith, Treasurer Randall Blair, Sunday Host Louise Glass, Financial Secretary

Nichols Hills United Methodist Church 405-842-1486 • 405.843.1835 Fax • www.nicholshillsumc.org The Learning Center (T.L.C.): 405-842-5325